Real Dumb Wi-Fi Question

tomscharbach

brent How do I know I'm not on the 5G?

I use WiFi Analyzer (see below). In my case, the computer selects between 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz and the router selects the channel.

I'm sure that there are other ways to tell whether you are using 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz, but I've used the analyzer for so many years now that I don't remember.

Windows has settings where you can select different options. I set it all to auto and let the computer and the router sort it out.

brent

tomscharbach ok thank you. you have the ability to have the modem decide whether 2.5 or 5 is best. I don't know if I have the ability yet.
What I got from my pictures is the 2.5 was active and the 5 was not? or can't be known with those pictures?
to be continued tomorrow. looking forward to a cheesy movie or two later

brent

edit: this all assumes her laptop is/isn't using the 5ghz? It can't use both right?

tomscharbach

brent this all assumes her laptop is/isn't using the 5ghz? It can't use both right?

Better off using one frequency or the other, in my opinion. 2.4 GHz has stronger signal strength than 5 GHz, but 5 GHz is faster. Not that it matters much, because channel speed isn't the bottleneck for home routers. I use 5 GHz because in my case there is less congestion on 5 GHz.

tomscharbach

brent If this router Auto Scans then me pressing the 'Channel Rescan' might be moot. I mean this router decided 42. I shouldn't make it look again, right? Another naive question, but did the big fridge and drywall that the modem sits next to force it to 42? Or is just a modem-strategic response? (if such a thing exists)

There is no reason not to rescan if you are having issues because congestion is caused by other routers, not yours. If the mix changes, then the congestion map changes. But we really need a congestion map before we can discuss this intelligently. What does WiFi Analyzer show as the congestion map for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz?

brent

tomscharbach What does WiFi Analyzer show as the congestion map for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz?

Ok thanks for dialing all those questions in. have a much better understanding. when I can kick her off the laptop I will get the Hafner program on there. likely resume tomorrow. thanks for sticking it out. it's appreciated

tomscharbach

brent What I got from my pictures is the 2.5 was active and the 5 was not? or can't be known with those pictures?

The pictures you posted show that both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz are enabled and both have assigned channels - channel 6 at 2.4 Ghz and channel 42 at 5 GHz. Which your partner's laptop is actually using, I don't know from the pictures, but that is easily ascertainable using an analyzer.

tomscharbach

@brent I notice that your partner's laptop has an Ethernet connection available, which presumably means a jack, given its age. A simple reality check would be to hook the laptop to the router (after the router has been moved) via Ethernet cable, and see if the connection problem persists or goes away. It should go away entirely.

brent

tomscharbach A simple reality check would be to hook the laptop to the router (after the router has been moved) via Ethernet cable, and see if the connection problem persists or goes away. It should go away entirely.

oh my this would not have been a thread at all if she would just accept the cord! she's starting to see the light! Only one ether cord and I have it.....since this happens to her periodically all day, then an entire day would be needed (or half?) to decide if the cord cures her...
...since I can't make that 6-12 hr sacrifice then another $20 dollar bill might get burned on another ether cord...so maybe I will test half a day tomorrow first. 10CC The Things We Do for Love

brent

tomscharbach A simple reality check would be to hook the laptop to the router (after the router has been moved) via Ethernet cable, and see if the connection problem persists or goes away. It should go away entirely.

took me a minute to see the nuance: after I move modem then test it

tomscharbach

brent A side question: Is the firmware on the laptop up-to-date? I don't how Lenovo Support handles firmware updates (maybe through Windows updates), but it might be worth a look.

You also might want to check driver status. Control Panel > Hardware & Sound > Device Manager > Network Adapters > [Click on Wifi Adapter] > Click on Driver tab to open this box:

The most recent driver seems to date from 2019, but you might take a look at Lenovo support (linked above) to see if any newer drivers are available. Not real likely, but possible.

brent

tomscharbach the driver update check and firmware check is a good idea. will do it today. might not get to the Hafner though, busy Saturday. thank you.

tomscharbach

brent might not get to the Hafner though, busy Saturday

It might be a good idea to get WiFi Analyzer installed before the modem is moved, to get a baseline reading. After the modem is moved, you can get a new reading and compare against the baseline. That will tell you if moving the modem changed signal strength significantly.

brent

tomscharbach Her drivers are up to date. I had a brain fart on how to check if here windows bios needed flashing so I have no idea if the firmware is up to date. Believe it or not, my patience lasted all of 30 seconds as page after search engine page unrelated to my task....
neither here nor there. Hafner will go on later.

New development:

                                                         MODEM
                                                         
             _______________DOOR________________________________________________________________                                            
                                                                                FRIDGE
              X (her workstation)

bought some shelving. re-arranged bedroom yesterday. moved modem 10 feet further away than old location but in middle of room, in view of door, and not in corner behind drywall and fridge.
RESULT:
1.5 days of bliss. She has never gone 2 hours without a connection problem, now going on 36 hours. Will give it tonight as we both get some work done to make sure that did it.... edit: hopefully one of those happy fluke accidents we don't get enough of

stalebrim

brent Would love to have a fridge that close to workstation

tomscharbach

brent Sounds like our initial instinct -- signal interference/loss from the refrigerator -- might have been correct.

Little variations can make a big difference. I often work with my 11" laptops temporarily on a folding table. In one spot I get good (-54 dBm) signal, but move the laptop 18" to the right, and signal sucks (-76 dBm). The difference? In the spot where signal is good, signal goes through two walls but is otherwise uninterrupted. In the spot where signal sucks, signal goes through those same two walls and a metal drawer unit.

brent 1.5 days of bliss. She has never gone 2 hours without a connection problem, now going on 36 hours.

Hope it is solved. If not, we can look into signal congestion.

brent

stalebrim Would love to have a fridge that close to workstation

yeah sadly we lost square footage in this move but the beer is just feet away so it evens out.

stalebrim Sounds plausible that the fridge refracts the signal.

Blocking/interfering was possible, but I thought if the signal refracted it would correct itself by bouncing off of something else? Maybe I'm confusing light theory or projectiles with radio...

tomscharbach Sounds like our initial instinct -- signal interference/loss from the refrigerator -- might have been correct.

I think so. But I still want to install Hafner and understand what I'm seeing just for the big picture, so I bought some time (it seems) to do that. With the Hafner knowledge and a couple more good days we shall see. Thanks Tom for hanging through this with me, damn nice of you; it was my first experience t-shooting wireless.

stalebrim

tomscharbach Sounds plausible that the fridge refracts the signal.

brent

tomscharbach In one spot I get good (-54 dBm) signal, but move the laptop 18" to the right, and signal sucks (-76 dBm). The difference? In the spot where signal is good, signal goes through two walls but is otherwise uninterrupted. In the spot where signal sucks, signal goes through those same two walls and a metal drawer unit.

that is revealing

stalebrim

brent

yeah sadly we lost square footage in this move but the beer is just feet away so it evens out.

Maybe the wi-fi requires an adequate amount of beer in the fridge to work

brent

stalebrim Maybe the wi-fi requires an adequate amount of beer in the fridge to work

One of us does🙂

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